After Elections, Our Work Continues

With Election Day behind us, I look forward to continuing the work we do at the Texas Department of Agriculture for the people of Texas.

Texans and Americans enjoy the safest, most affordable food supply in the world. But with the population of Texas expected to almost double from 25 million to 46 million people in 50 years, our agriculture industry must continually evolve and innovate to ensure it can efficiently meet a growing domestic demand and compete in the global marketplace. America has seen the dangers of being dependent on foreign oil; we must not become dependent on foreign food.

As your agriculture commissioner, I'm excited about assisting our farmers and ranchers in growing and safeguarding the food supply that will feed us today and into the future. Equally important will be the enhancement of initiatives created to protect all Texas consumers. Whether it’s ensuring the most affordable food supply or ensuring the best quality and accuracy at the gas pump, TDA is working hard for you.

I look forward to the next four years as your agriculture commissioner and am humbled by the trust placed in me. That trust is what motivates me every day to fulfill my responsibility to the people of Texas. Together, we will continue to make the Lone Star State shine brightly at home and abroad. The people of Texas deserve nothing less.

13 Days

Dear Fellow Texans:

15 minutes a day for 13 days. Please do your part!

Monday marked the 1st day of early voting! Americans can begin sending the message, "We have had enough!" 13 days. 13 days until we take our country back. 13 days until we derail the out-of-control government spending train. 13 days until we put a stop to disastrous cap and trade policies that cost American jobs and will make us more dependent on foreign sources of food. 13 days until we send new people to Congress that UNDERSTAND and BELIEVE IN THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM. I am asking each of you to spend just 15 minutes a day for the next 13 days so we can get out the vote.

Just as we have a Statue of Liberty in the New York Harbor we need a Statue of Accountability at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!

Today is a call to action for those of you who love our state and country. We each must do our part the next 13 days to leave no vote behind. That is why I sincerely ask each of you to go through your cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, and email accounts and remind your family, friends and neighbors to go to the polls and help us send the message, "We have had enough!"

Every election year is always labeled as "The Most Important Election." Friends, I'm here to tell you that this election will be one that our grandkids will look back on and be thankful that we took our country back. Please do your part and spend 15 minutes a day for the next 13 days!

Thank you for your continued support and with your help I look forward to serving another term as your Commissioner of Agriculture.

Rural Highlight: Dick Wallrath and the Champion Ranch

Agriculture is an integral part of our economy, lifestyle, and heritage in Texas. It affects every consumer multiple times a day, and is something that must be promoted, protected, and treasured as we advance into the future. As with anything important, education is a key component to sustainability going forward. The Texas FFA Association and Texas 4-H are training the next generation of leaders within the agricultural industry and beyond, thus it is vitally important that these students receive the support they so desperately need.

One Texas rancher, Richard “Dick” Wallrath of Centerville, understands the need for future leaders, which is why he has dedicated a great deal of his energy to supporting FFA and 4-H. Wallrath owns Champion Ranch outside Madisonville, Texas. A purveyor of brangus cattle and fine stock horses, the ranch is just one of his many accomplishments. Recently he authored his autobiography, Courage to Change the Things I Can, which chronicles his life and the series of events that led him to his current passion for helping youth.

Each year, thanks to Wallrath’s generosity, the members of the Texas FFA and Texas 4-H are given the opportunity to further advance their educations. Wallrath has endowed 142 annual $10,000 scholarships, 71 for FFA and 71 for 4-H. These scholarships are open to members of each organization interested in attending college, and over the last several years have been an ongoing source of financial aid for future Texas leaders.

Last year I had the opportunity to visit the Champion Ranch for a scholarship dinner, and I witnessed first hand how this larger-than-life Texan truly takes an active interest in the lives of the scholarship recipients. I salute Dick Wallrath for his commitment to Texas agriculture, especially to the youth who will carry the industry torch forward into what is sure to be a bright future. Thank you Mr. Wallrath for all you do!

Texas Agriculture: A Model of Sustainability

It is encouraging to me to see so many different entrepreneurs developing markets for their products. I have often said the diversity of Texas agriculture is its greatest strength. We are unlike many other states that have a more monolithic production schedule, and you can find a wide variety of agriculture production in Texas throughout the calendar year.

The good news is that Texas is big enough to host a variety of production types, as this article describing sustainable beef points out. The existence of one type of production doesn’t have to displace another. With our world population growing to new heights and the need to preserve pristine wildlife and natural habitat a worthy and necessary goal, relying on various "sustainable" approaches makes good sense for food security and food safety.

4-H and the Texas Rangers: A Great Combination!

This past Saturday night, August 28, the Texas Rangers Baseball Team might not have won on the scoreboard, but they should have won a spot in your heart. Saturday was 4-H night at the Ballpark at Arlington. A great big Texas Thank You goes to President Nolan Ryan, General Manager Chuck Greenberg and the entire Rangers organization for their commitment and dedication to promoting the youth of our state. If you can believe it, they even let me throw out the first pitch of the game, and it was an honor to be involved with such a special day at the Ballpark!

The participating 4-H clubs were able to keep $3 per ticket they sold to help fund local projects. Representatives from the top selling clubs were treated to a night in a suite and a personal visit from Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. It was also the first ever GREEN OUT night at the Ballpark, and T-shirts with the 4-H emblem and Texas Rangers logo were being handed out thanks to the sponsorship of Texas Farm Bureau.

Texas 4-H impacts the lives of more than 590,000 young people across Texas who participate in its programs. With all the “opportunities” available for youth today that send the wrong message, you should feel proud of the many volunteer hours associated with giving our youth good and wholesome information that not only teaches them responsibility for today, but prepares them for tomorrow.

To find out how you can be involved in a 4-H chapter in your community, go to http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/.

Thanks again to Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers. GO TEXAN! Go Texas Rangers!

More Damage From D.C.

Texas agricultural producers should not have to pay the price for Washington, D.C.’s broken diplomatic relationships. Last March, the United States Congress unilaterally suspended part of the NAFTA agreement that went into effect allowing Mexican operated trucks to go further into the United States. It has been widely reported this was in response to union complaints.

There are protocols within NAFTA to address legitimate issues, but what our Democratic leaders in Congress did was bypass these mutually agreed upon guidelines. The result: American farmers, ranchers, companies and employees have been paying the price. That’s correct; Mexico has the ability to add tariffs to U.S. products because our federal government did not play by the rules they agreed to operate by.

This is costing U.S. jobs. We should never be cavalier about what we agreed to do, because this only limits our credibility and hurts the unemployed Americans who are waiting for this economy to rebound.

We sometimes forget that Mexico is one of our largest agricultural trading partners. In fact, according to Census Bureau data, the U.S. shipped more than $1 billion worth of fruits, vegetables and nuts to Mexico in 2009, up 45 percent from $748 million in 2005. Mexico is one of our biggest customers here in America. Texas is a big producer and exporter in multiple categories, and this tariff hits many of our grapefruit, orange, onion and peanut growers. Texas happens to rank 2nd in grapefruit production, 3rd in oranges, 4th in onions and 2nd in peanuts, so you can imagine how our economy is going to feel the pain.

Mr. President, here is a stimulus package that doesn’t add to our meteoric debt calendar: instruct our trade negotiators to work this problem out immediately, and help our economy and U.S. workers! Our Democratic Congressional leaders started this problem, and they can do something about it.

Rural Highlight: Jon Means and the Moon Ranch

Agriculture today is precariously balanced on a surgically-fine edge between the past and the future. As research enables us to discover innovative ways to feed and clothe a booming global population, we must embrace progress as an industry goal. On the other hand, what makes agriculture different from many other industries is the heritage and history behind what we do, something to be cherished, not forgotten.


This is a difficult balancing act, one that requires leaders willing to take on the challenges of tomorrow by studying the footsteps of yesterday. Jon Means of Van Horn, Texas, is the quintessential example of a successful rancher: true to his heritage and excited about the prospects of the future.


Jon and his wife, Jackie, live on the Moon Ranch in Culberson County amid the arid and often unforgiving Davis Mountains. Anything but newcomers, Jon’s family has been ranching in the area for over 125 years. In 2007, Jon was elected to serve as the president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, a key role in the promotion of one of Texas’ most important products. I had the pleasure of visiting Jon and Jackie on the ranch, and their passion for Texas runs as high as the temperature of the West Texas sun.


While the Means family used to raise Highland Herefords, Angus has been the ranch’s bread and butter for sixty plus years. Jon has a progressive mindset on the future of the beef industry and how best to move it forward in changing market environments, yet his appreciation for the traditional aspects of ranching is very clear. As he would put it, “Ranching is an art, not a science.”


Ranching is and will remain one of the premier endeavors that sets the Lone Star State apart from the rest of the nation. It takes men and women like Jon and Jackie Means, who understand the economic and cultural importance of ranching and cattle, to propel us into a successful future while constantly reminding us of our rich and vibrant legacy.

Real Hope for the Future

Sir Tom Stoppard once said, “Age is a high price to pay for maturity.” Sometimes, though, we are reminded that taking the youth of our country for granted would be a grave mistake. Maturity and wisdom surface everyday in the minds of Texas young people, and we could all take a page from the book of the young and vibrant.

I recently received an email from a young woman about to start her senior year at a Texas high school. The email, titled “Problems in Washington for the Future of Agriculture!” chronicled her distress regarding the direction of our country, particularly the policy decisions being pushed through Congress and their disastrous effects on the industry upon which we all depend. Some of the things she said:

• “The government is killing agriculture and it isn’t fair at all.”
• “We all need healthy ways of living, but stop putting so many regulations on agriculture when other countries where we get our source of food have none or a few regulations.”
• “The Estate Tax Reform does need to be passed by Congress! If it’s not then it hurts our economy even worse.”
• “Not many people these days know a lick about agriculture and where their food comes from. Most think it comes from a can or a box, they never think about ‘Hey, I’m helping somebody out!’”

I think it is safe to say based on these astute observations that a high school senior possesses more common sense and capability than many of our leaders in Washington, D.C. Her keen message contains many of the points that we must send to Washington in November. More importantly, we should all be proud that the next generation of leaders is taking an active roll in the future of our country. After all, we are all involved in agriculture at least three times a day.

Texas Education Threatened

Every day we see more and more examples of a federal government out of control. In the latest abuse, the U.S. Senate has passed legislation that, if allowed to stand, would severely limit the ability of all Texans’ right to set their own education policy.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate approved legislation that would require Texas – and no other state – to maintain state education spending levels through 2013. The bill essentially allows the U.S. Senate to bypass the legislative process and mandate what Texas can and cannot spend on education.

All Texans want a quality education for our children. As a state senator and state representative I have worked to increase teacher salaries and improve school accountability and school funding.

However, this overreaching mandate to Texas is an encroachment on states’ rights and essentially ignores the will of the people of the Lone Star State.

This is unconstitutional, as Gov. Rick Perry has rightly said, but more importantly, it sets a dangerous precedent. If the federal government can pick and choose which states to bind with onerous mandates, then can the states even be said to have a representative, republican form of government, which is guaranteed by the constitution?

We need change in Washington, but more importantly we need to end the arrogance of government on all levels. We need elected leaders who recognize limits on their power, and recognize the will of the people.

Texas At Its Best

As I have mentioned several times, Texas is performing at a far superior level compared to the rest of the nation economically. The numbers speak for themselves, so much that I decided to make Texas’ economic prowess the topic for this month’s e-newsletter, “Shooting Straight with Staples.”

"Texas’ economy leads the nation. Growth over the last few years has been phenomenal and positive news still abounds: Texas created more net jobs in the last five years than all other states combined. The trend continues in 2010, with the Lone Star State producing more jobs than any other state in the country from April to May. Despite that, many of our citizens and businesses are being negatively impacted by the national recession. That recession is being prolonged by the lack of a clear and cohesive strategy and course of action by our current administration and the Democratic-controlled Congress. As the Bureau of Economic Analysis has reported, U.S. corporations are sitting on $1.6 trillion in cash reserves. That’s a recovery waiting to happen, but no business is going to spend its money when it can’t predict what their future costs will be…

Texas families have to live within their means...and they have every right, I mean every right, to expect their government to do the same. After all, government works for the people, not the other way around. "

To read the full article, click here. Additionally, if you do not receive my monthly newsletter and would like to, please sign-up to learn how important agriculture is to the great state of Texas. You deserve to be informed of the real issues that affect our state and nation, and I would be honored to hear your opinions and questions.

Rural Highlight: Jimmie Powell

In all of my travels across Texas, I never come home without a great story from a good friend. The Lone Star State is overflowing with entrepreneurial men and women, whose pioneering spirit has helped shape us into the greatest state in the Union.

Jimmie Powell is one of those men. A native Texan, Powell resides in San Angelo, where he manages several banking interests. Among other things, he is a former chairman of the Texas State University System Board of Regents, an investor, a philanthropist, and an Eagle Scout. Perhaps most importantly to Jimmie himself, however, he is a rancher.

When asked once by a newspaper what keeps him in the business [ranching], Powell said, “I have a deep desire to raise livestock and participate with others to provide a source of food for the people of the nation. In addition, I welcome the challenges to manage the ranch operations.”

Indeed, Powell has taken the challenges of ranching head on, with a vigor and determination that can only be admired. I had the opportunity to tour the country side with Jimmie one Wednesday afternoon in West Texas, and he wanted to drive out to the ranch and show me what he had been working on. Research has recently been performed outlining the effects of brush management on water shed recharge, and Jimmie Powell was determined to be part of the equation.

Across vast acreage of what was once thick brush county, Powell’s ranch has been transformed into beautiful pastures adorned by native grasses and wildflowers. Not only has his management of the land improved his cattle operation, but the repercussions of his actions are undoubtedly having positive impacts on the area’s water sources.

I salute Jimmie Powell and his commitment to agriculture and education. It is because of Texans like him that we enjoy a safe and affordable food supply, that our natural resources remain in the forefront of conversation, and that our long standing Texas heritage remains intact.

Open Season

The fall hunting season is just around the corner for most Texans. Even though it is hot this summer, hunter’s dreams are cooled with refreshing thoughts of dove, deer, duck and quail. For the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is open season already in Texas.

The Attorney General of Texas’ press release details how the Lone Star State developed a permitting system that has been in place since the first term of the Clinton administration, and how the Obama EPA shot it down even as new rules were posted which attempted to address the EPA’s concerns.

Folks, we must have good, sound environmental practices and policies, but we need transparent, open and STABLE regulatory approaches. We can have clean air and jobs for our citizens all at the same time. This is real. Just think of the lost jobs in the Gulf with the six month drilling moratorium the president issued (which was overturned by the courts). Two huge drilling rigs left our shores and went overseas where they were wanted…and jobs for our citizens went with them.

Let’s hope our court system will put some hunting limits on the EPA. We don’t want our jobs being indiscriminately gunned down.

EPA Crying Over Spilled Milk

Anyone following the news headlines these past two years must have noticed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) aggressive agenda. From their costly designation of carbon dioxide as a pollutant, to the administration’s advocacy for dangerous Cap and Trade legislation, to the EPA not seeking to overturn the 6th Court of Appeals ruling that requires a duplicative permitting process for pesticide application (this makes your food cost more and doesn’t make it safer), labeling their agenda as aggressive may be an understatement.

Working with producers, it is good to see firsthand their dedication to conservation and their understanding of the need for clean water and air. It is no overstatement to say agriculturists are the original environmental stewards.

So you can imagine the dismay of all those involved with agriculture when the EPA is unwilling to agree the Clean Water Act (CWA) was not intended to regulate spills from dairy farms. Yes, you read that correctly. Because milk contains oil (animal fat) some are interpreting that the CWA applies to milk spills!

Even though many of the EPA’s recent proposals have had Democratic support, Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) recognizes the CWA was never intended to impact dairy farmers this way and is calling on the EPA to stand down. For the millions of babies who drink milk with every meal, and all Americans who enjoy a nice, cold glass of milk or slice of cheese, let’s hope he is successful.

The Future Is Up To You

The first question: have you seen Obama’s abysmal approval ratings lately? The second question: is anyone surprised? The administration that was supposed to usher in a new era of “hope” and “change” has fallen short of providing the American people with the prosperity they deserve. In fact, the myopic, overbearing policies being implemented in Washington by the party in power will have regressive implications on our financial success far into the future, especially for agriculture.

When businesses across the nation are struggling to recover from a crippling recession, the Democrats have been pushing job killing cap and trade legislation. Finally, they have abandoned this crippling crusade, for the moment (think what they will do if the American people don’t rein them in this November).

Now is the time to restore confidence in investors, yet capital gains and dividend taxes will be escalated to detrimental levels if Democrats take no action. Companies are currently sitting on record amounts of cash; afraid to leave the sidelines for fear that their risks will be met by a barrage of regulatory weight. Logical, comprehensive financial reform could help our economy move forward into the future in a manner that protects consumers and promotes innovation, but instead Congress passed a bill that creates unnecessary bureaucratic red tape and punishes tax payers. If you don’t believe me, listen to the financial experts who know that our economy is once again precariously balanced on a dangerous tipping point.

President Obama and the Democratic Party are grasping for a limb, but their failure to provide solid leadership has come back to haunt them. November 2 is coming, and we have an unprecedented opportunity as Americans and Texans to regain our country and move it in a direction that encourages and promotes our free enterprise system – you remember, the one that built the most powerful economy in the world. Really, the future is up to you.

Rural Highlight: The Rocker b Ranch

As the campaign progresses, I want to highlight some out-of-the-way locales in Texas that capture the rich heritage of the Lone Star State. These places, and the people who inhabit them, have lively and colorful histories, but more importantly they have a meaningful impact on our state’s agricultural industry.

Just outside the small West Texas town of Mertzon (west of San Angelo), sits the Rocker b Ranch. The story of the Rocker b dates back to the days of the Goodnight-Loving Trail, before barbed wire fences were erected, and cowboys were still in high demand. Purchased by Senator William A. Blakely in 1954, the ranch would transform into something of great significance. In 1977, Senator Blakely donated the ranch to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. The TSRHC, established in 1921 by a group of Texas Masons, treats children with orthopedic conditions at no charge to their families. Today, the revenues provided by the Rocker b go to support the hospital’s operations.

In April, I was fortunate enough to visit the Rocker b. Ranch manager Dennis Webb likes to run the ranch’s cattle operation the “old-fashioned way,” not just for nostalgia or romance, but because it’s the “right way” and happens to be the most efficient. At over 170,000 acres, the Rocker b is one of the largest ranches under one fence in the state, and that sure became apparent as we spent the morning gathering and working cattle.

The day began before the sun, with a traditional chuck wagon breakfast and good-natured ribbing by the cowboys. As the West Texas landscape came alive with the stunning light of dawn, we mounted up to gather a herd of cattle, accompanied by antelope, deer, and other native wildlife. Of all the things I witnessed that day, the most enduring was the attitude of the cowboys. These men, professionals in every sense of the word, knew that their work transcended that of mere cow punching; they were riding for a greater cause. The fruits of their labor not only benefit the consumers of Texas, but also support the functions of a great Texas institution.

I salute Dennis Webb and the cowboys of the Rocker b for their indomitable spirit and commitment to Texas agriculture. I think we could all use a little tradition, and the Rocker b Ranch is a place were the spirit of the West is alive and well. Is it any wonder they write books and make movies about Texas?

Health of the Nation

During the long, drawn-out debate over the Obama Administration’s health care reform legislation, we were repeatedly promised that there would be no new tax on the middle class. What the bill did do is create a new health care mandate that all Americans have to pay for. That sure sounds like a tax to me.

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, himself a former Democratic strategist and aide to Bill Clinton, challenged Obama on this very point. Obama’s response? He said it “is absolutely not” a tax increase.

This mandate is not only unfair to hardworking Americans, who know better how to make their own health care decisions than the government, it is unconstitutional. Because of that, several states including Texas joined a lawsuit against the bill. They argue that the mandate simply isn’t covered by the commerce clause of the constitution.

Now, facing a very real possibility that they might not win, the administration is shifting tack. Rather than defend the mandate under the commerce clause, they’re defending it as a tax. In fact, they’re making that the key to their defense of the bill.

That kind of cynical power play is exactly what is wrong with this administration. Whatever happened to laying out your vision, being honest with your proposals, and then defending them on their merits?

In this economy, we don’t need more taxes, and we certainly don’t need more mandates on individuals. Many small businesses – farmers and ranchers among them – are already burdened by taxes, overregulation, and government mandates. They’re trying to stay in business. They’re trying to hire new workers, or struggling to keep the ones they have.

What Americans demand is a government they can trust, not one that talks out of both sides of its mouth. They don’t need a government to tell them how to live their lives, they need one that will get out of their way and let them live it how they know best.

Why It's Great to Live in Texas

Even in these tough economic times, Texas continues to outperform the nation. All signs indicate that when it comes to the recession, Texas was the “last in” and will likely be the “first out.”

In the first six months of 2010, Texas created more new jobs than California, New York, Florida, and Illinois combined! In fact, the Lone Star State was alone among the nation’s largest states in having an increase in employment over the last 12 months. In 2009, we had twice as many new home starts as the next best state. To see for yourself how Texas stacks up to the rest of the country, see here, here, and here.

Why does Texas continue to outperform the nation? Texas works because Texans work, and because we understand it is the free enterprise system that creates prosperity, not government.

Several factors are key to our state’s success and all stem from our hardworking Texas values:

• Low Taxes – Businesses and individuals vote with their feet and across the nation those feet are two-stepping from high tax states towards low tax states, with Texas the nation’s biggest winner.

• Predictable Regulatory System – In sports, no teams would agree to play unless the rules were clear before the game started. Similarly, investors tend to sit on the sidelines if they don’t know what the rules are going to be. To entice this investment on to the job creating field, we must maintain a stable system that gives plenty of notice and doesn’t change the rules in the middle of the game, and this can be done while protecting consumers, our environment and those that risk capital. Need proof? Chief Executive Magazine just ranked Texas the number one state in which to do business for the sixth year in a row!

• Fair Civil Justice System – Eight years ago, Texas was facing a meltdown of its medical system: malpractice insurance rates skyrocketed and doctors were fleeing the state. We passed landmark tort reform that protected those who have been harmed by malpractice, while reducing frivolous lawsuits. As with our regulatory system, we now have stability and predictability, and guess what? Rates were lowered, new companies offered coverage and doctors returned.

• Powerful Production Agriculture – Texas farmers and ranchers are the basis for agriculture contributing over $100 billion per year in economic impact on the Lone Star State. From the Valley to the Panhandle and from the Pineywoods to El Paso, Texas agriculture is a powerhouse of production. Consumers are the real winner and Texas agriculture has something for everyone.

These factors, along with our hard-working and capable workforce, have kept our state strong. The Texas story is a surprise to many Americans, but not to anyone who has lived here long.

We Texans have a history of beating the odds and doing things right. I recently saw a billboard in Austin which sums it up quite nicely. It said, “If you want something to happen, tell a Texan it can’t be done.” People have been telling Texans it can’t be done for a long time, and we continue to surprise them by doing it.

Agriculture for Everyone

As a student beginning my agricultural career as an FFA member, I learned the words of the FFA Creed, which in part states, “I believe in the future of farming, with a faith born not of words but of deeds.” Since then, the word “farming” has been replaced with “agriculture,” yet the message remains the same. Farmers and ranchers across this nation are, through faith and deeds, providing the most affordable, most abundant, and safest food and fiber supply in the world.

Agriculture is the clothes we wear and the food we eat, but it encompasses so much more. It comprises our medicines, makeup, tires, toothpaste, and myriad other consumer products that we often take for granted. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the American agriculture industry employed more than two million people in production agriculture alone during 2008. Right here in the Lone Star State, agriculture employs one in seven working Texans (14%), and contributes a state economic impact of over $100 billion.

The point is this: agriculture, especially in Texas, is a vibrant and dynamic industry that we all depend on daily. It is an industry that provides jobs in production, marketing, transportation, research, and education. Unfortunately, many people have no idea where their food comes from or how it impacts our economy. Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel, sums up the plight of the American farmer very well.

“Technical advances in modern agriculture now rival those of Silicon Valley, and today’s farms are more efficient than ever, but no one seems to have gotten the memo. No one seems to care.”

Education and hard work are the keys to making sure people start caring about agriculture. Agriculture affects us all, even beyond the aisles of the grocery store, and we all depend on it daily. It has been my honor to serve as your Texas Commissioner of Agriculture over the past few years, and with your help I will continue to fight for farmers, ranchers, and all Texas consumers, ensuring that their stories are told and their families have a promising tomorrow. Agriculture is alive and well in Texas, and I intend to keep it that way!

Welcome to my Blog!

Welcome to my blog, which will now be posted on www.toddstaples.com. Since November 2 is drawing near, I thought it best to let the talented and dedicated staff at the Texas Department of Agriculture take over my blog spot at the agency until after Election Day.

I do, however, want to keep you posted on key events in our state, nation and world and how they impact the Texas economy. Being that this site is hosted by Texans for Todd Staples, I will discuss the clear differences in choice Texans will have in choosing who they want to represent them as Texas Commissioner of Agriculture for the next four years.

It has been a privilege to serve you these past few years and work with you to achieve a dynamic agriculture industry, vibrant Texas economy, limited and efficient government, lower taxes and better services, better home and land owner rights, improved and healthier lifestyles, and private wildlife and land stewardship opportunities. If you agree with me that these need to be our priorities for the next four years, then I humbly ask for your support as we continue to build an even stronger and more prosperous Texas.

Stay tuned and GO TEXAN!